'A Third To Me Means It's Institutional': Second Malvern Day Care Worker Charged With Abusing Children, Third Expected Next Week
MALVERN, Pa. (CBS) -- A second suspect appeared in a Chester County court Friday morning, after being charged with abusing children in her care at a Malvern day care center. The alleged abuse took place at Chesterbrook Academy on the 200 block of Atwater Drive.
Alison Soria waived her right to a preliminary hearing.
The former Malvern Chesterbrook Academy Day Care teacher had nothing to say as she left Wayne District Court.
The 39-year-old Jenkintown native has been charged with felony child endangerment and simple assault. This comes after East Whiteland Township police and the Chester County District Attorney's office found classroom videos of Soria allegedly striking and dropping toddlers.
"We are looking forward to getting discovery, reviewing what they have and we will look forward to justice being served at the next level," Soria's attorney William DeNardo said. "I have not seen the videos yet. My client is pleading not guilty to the next level and we will look forward to working this through the system."
East Whiteland Township Police Sgt. Patricia Doyle has seen the videos.
"Videos are going to be hard to dispute, for sure. It's some open hand slaps, dropping roughly on their cots and just handling a child in a manner that is not conducive to a child care environment," Doyle said.
Soria is the second teacher charged.
Last month, 32-year-old Jessica Kochanski, of Havertown, also waived her preliminary hearing.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, surveillance video captured Soria pushing a boy from a table, causing him to strike his head and injure his lip.
The day care fired both teachers. Neither of the teachers has prior records.
Police say a third teacher was also caught on camera abusing children.
"A third to me means it's institutional. It means it's cultural," a father of a former Chesterbrook Academy student said.
The father spoke to CBS3 but didn't want to be identified. His daughter was in the same classroom as the third teacher, who's scheduled to be charged.
"We saw open hand slaps. We saw them slammed onto cots. We all saw all of that. This was child abuse," he said. "How do you have, not one, not two but three women that were abusing kids? Two we know already have been charged. I heard the third is going to be charged as well. How does that happen? How do you have a structure in place where you have three women can abuse kids?"
When asked how this situation has been for his family, the father said, "It's been very stressful. We've had to pretty much restructure our whole life."
He has since pulled his daughter from the day care upon learning about the charges.
The third teacher who was caught on camera abusing children is expected to turn herself in next week.
